Reviews

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

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kaelaceleste's review against another edition

4.0

This one took me a little bit to get into but once it picked up it did not stop! Really dark and twisty, pretty graphic stuff but I couldn't put it down once things got going. I loved the writing style and all the cultural references woven throughout, it was great to read some Indigenous horror. Definitely made me want to pick up more books by this author if they're anything like this.

One thing to note however (small spoiler): there is a LOT of animal death in this book including a lot of dogs, so if you're sensitive to that sort of thing maybe skip this one.

I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 elk tracks

erinlynneee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

sydneynorman's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

genhart3's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

1.5

I apparently really don't like horror. So nothing really against this book but I could not get into it.
The writing was good, and the characters personalities were well written. I could understand the metaphors and get a general idea of what this book was getting a bit in the end I did not like the plot or how the characters acted. Also I don't like sports so the basketball scene was almost torture by itself to listen too. It's possible I just don't know enough about the culture of black feet either to really understand.

jewelj's review against another edition

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4.0

3.75 stars

lamentconfiguration's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I almost DNF'ed this because I felt the pacing was a little drag-y. And then I said, "one more try", and I picked it back up, and a few pages later

two women had been killed and one of them gave birth to an elk calf.

Which I think is the exact vibe of this entire book -- a loping pace that suddenly breaks into a gallop every so often.

What I liked about this book, what kept me reading even when it dragged (aside from the desire to see how it all resolves), is the author's voice. I enjoy writer voices that have distinct cultural specificity. I think it ends well, Denorah's choice bringing a quiet defiance to a theme of peoples trapped in cycles that inform and cripple their lives. And frankly, the premise is pretty wild (pun intended) -- but it often gets buried in expository meandering and mundane character interactions.